Give ouma’s pumpkin fritters a run for their money! From sweet to savoury and everything in-between, Gail Damon gives this timeless classic some festive flair.   

Carrot cake-spiced baked fritters 

Makes 12-15 

Carrot cake meets pumpkin fritter in just one bite! 

Ingredients

400g pumpkin, cooked and mashed
2 carrots, cooked and mashed
3 eggs
3 Tbsp honey
2 cups self-raising flour
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spiced
Pinch of salt

For the cream cheese  

175g medium-fat plain cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar + extra for dusting
1 lemon or 2 limes, zested and juiced

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease two 6-hole Bundt tin trays with butter, adding flour to each bunt hole. Shake to coat well and discard excess flour.
3. Combine pumpkin, carrot, eggs and honey and mix well.  
4. Sift together flour and spices, then add salt.
5. Gradually fold wet mixture into dry ingredients.
6. Divide batter between prepared Bundt trays.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes
   or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.  
8. Cool in the tins for 5–10 minutes, then unmould.
9. For the cream cheese, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.
10. Dollop zesty cream cheese over warm pumpkin fritters and dust generously with icing sugar to serve.  

Festive sprinkle
Take this dish up a notch with a sprinkling of candied seeds. Simply toss ¼ cup each pumpkin-, sunflower-, and sesame seeds with 1 tsp canola oil and 1-2 Tbsp honey or golden syrup. Spread evenly onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, and bake at 180°C until golden and crunchy.

 

Pumpkin fritters with miso caramel 

Makes 20-25 

Salted caramel does not stand a chance! This miso caramel is literally EVERYTHING, combined with the sweetness of the pumpkin, it’s a match made in flavour heaven.  

Ingredients

500g pumpkin, cooked and mashed
3 eggs
3 Tbsp honey
2½ cups self-raising flour
1 tsp ground aniseed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Oil, for deep frying

For the miso caramel  

1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 heaped tsp white miso paste
½ cup butter, cubed
½ cup cream

Method 

1. Combine cooled pumpkin, eggs and honey and mix well. 
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and spices, then add salt. 
3. Gradually fold wet mixture into dry ingredients. 
4. Heat oil over medium heat until shimmering hot.
5. Drop a heaped tablespoon of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with remaining batter. 
6. For the miso caramel, combine sugar and water over medium heat, mixing until sugar has dissolved. 
7. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce turns a caramel colour. Immediately add miso paste, butter and cream then stir until smooth. Cool completely. 
8. Serve fritters hot, drizzled with caramel or serve on the side as a dipping sauce. 

 

Pumpkin & parmesan fritters 

Makes 20-25 

Halve the amount of pumpkin and replace with grated sweet potato, if you like.  

Ingredients

4 cups (about 600g) grated pumpkin
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp self-raising flour
Salt and milled pepper
1½ Tbsp milk
1 egg
Glug olive or canola oil

For serving

Handful sage, fried (or use fresh coriander instead) 
Parmesan shavings
Sweet chilli sauce

Method 

1. Combine pumpkin, cheese, nutmeg and flour. Season.
2. Whisk together milk and egg. Stir into pumpkin mixture to combine. 
3. Heat oil over medium heat and shallow-fry 1 heaped tablespoon of the mixture for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden, crispy and cooked through. 
4. Repeat until mixture
   is done.
5. Serve scattered with sage and Parmesan, with sweet chilli sauce on the side.  

Recipes & styling: Gail Damon 

Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Low-carb pumpkin and sage cannelloni